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Oquendo wasn't part of the Hernandez trade. Allen was exceedingly meh....the trade was highway robbery.

-Stork

It was Rick Ownbey and Allen and a third kid pitcher [cannot recall] for Keith. I remember turning on my car radio that night and hearing the Mets announcers pondering which kids from AAA would be called up to "the ripple effect from AA up to fill the three spots on the major league roster." I was flabbergasted and thrilled to hear we just traded [so little] for Hernandez.

Yep SS. We don't have any monster impact or superstar talent that we had back in the '80's.

So, not having a Straw or Doc in the system ala Harper and Strasburg will delay our growth.

Washington last season were like the Mets were in '85 and had the same win total as well (98). In 2013 they will put it together with a healthy Strasburg and win it all winning over 100 regular season games. Washington vs Detroit in the 2013 Fall Classic, Washington wins in seven games.

Keith Hernandez never hi 20 HRs and only had 100 Rib Eye Steaks once or twice. He doesn't have HOF statistics. But he is probably the best example I can think of for what leadership brings to a team. He made players around him better.

Originally Posted by METMANYAK
I may be wrong, but my memory tells me, Doc came straight up from A ball never pitched above that level, until joining the Mets out of spring training in 84.

Originally Posted by rdg515

I recall Doc having a stint at AAA in '83...gotta look it up.

METMANYAK is wrong, rdg is correct. Gooden began his minor league career as an 18 year old in A ball. When he started striking out practically every batter he faced, he was promoted to AA ball.

And when he was striking out just about every AA batter he faced, they promoted him to AAA ball, all in the same season. In fact, he ended up leading the AAA Tidewater Tides to the AAA championship.

All told that season, pitching at all three minor league levels, he struck out over 300 batters. Let me know the next time someone does that!

They brought him up to Spring Training in 2004 with little intention of promoting a 19-year-old to the majors. Doc had other ideas of course, striking out just about every batter he faced. By the end of March, it was clear the Mets had no choice but to promote him, something his old Triple A manager and then Mets Manager Davey Johnson had lobbied for all along.

Of course he went on to lead the league in strikeouts and WHIP while being the unanimous candidate for ROY.

Those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end....

EDIT!!!!! FOC IS WRONG!!!!!! Doc actually started his minor league career as a 17 year old in Rookie ball and pitched in A ball all of 1983.

But I do distinctly remember him pitching in the AAA World Series. The part about him being promoted mid season from A to B to C was total fiction.

I was also wrong about him striking out more than 300 batters. Actually he struck out exactly 300 batters. Still not too shabby though.

As the post just above emntioned he pitched in the AAA World Series at the end of 1983---that's what I was vaguely recalling. However it is rare for a pitcher to go from A to the majors in one offseason.

It was Rick Ownbey and Allen and a third kid pitcher [cannot recall] for Keith. I remember turning on my car radio that night and hearing the Mets announcers pondering which kids from AAA would be called up to "the ripple effect from AA up to fill the three spots on the major league roster." I was flabbergasted and thrilled to hear we just traded [so little] for Hernandez.

Herzog wanted to unload his coked up First Baseman and he thought Neil Allen still had something in the tank. He didn't. Turned out he traded a coke head for an alcoholic. The difference is that the coke head was a great player but the alky couldn't get anyone out.

You makes good points, but to be fair, the Mets had two once in a generation talents coming up through the farm in Straw and Gooden. Sure Harvey; Wheeler, and TDA have upside, but they're not two Strausburgs and a Posey.

If they aren't they sure will be close....add in Niese and you have a core like SF does. If TDA is anywhere near Posey you can see how SF built itself into a champion...same as Washington just did. If Wright, Davis, TDA and Duda can form a 3-6 core then all you need to do is start filling in around them. One day if we upgrade the middle infield with overall better players that will be the sign of going for it.